Flat Horses to follow

[Old Vic]

Not an area where I can claim any special knowledge...how do these look ?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Flat is kicking into gear this week, so we take a look at the horses to follow in 2015 <a href="http://t.co/4w35r0M5w7">http://t.co/4w35r0M5w7</a> <a href="http://t.co/BMocqTzdAW">pic.twitter.com/BMocqTzdAW</a></p>— GBI Racing (@gbiracing) <a href="https://twitter.com/gbiracing/status/587932063283576833">April 14, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Old Vic]

Luca Cumani was responsible for 54 winners last year and Bedford House Stables is certainly not short of equine talent at present. The lightly raced DREAMLIKE begins her three year old career off a lenient looking mark of 80. A beautifully bred filly by Oasis Dream, she is a half-sister to the stable’s Group 2 May Hill Stakes winner Silk Sari and comes from a family who improve with age. Runner-up at Doncaster on her second outing, she went one better last time at Kempton. She will come into her own over middle distances and can take advantage of her rating before making an impact in Pattern races later in the season.

Not for the first time, William Haggas has a strong team for the year ahead and there are high hopes the once raced HATHAL will develop into a high-class three year old. A son of Speightstown, who was purchased for 320,000gns at the breeze-ups, he ran a race full of promise when second in a seven furlong maiden at Newmarket in late September. Drawn widest of all, he stayed on well to fill second position behind Consort. The race couldn’t have worked out better either with the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth winning since. Expect him to contest a mile maiden before a tilt at either the Jersey or St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Ten times champion trainer Sir Michael Stoute has suffered a couple of reversals in recent weeks with injuries sustained by unbeaten three year old colts Consort and Convey, ruling the pair out of next month’s 2000 Guineas. However, the head of Freemason Lodge is set to unleash a highly promising son of Monsun in INDIAN MONSOON at Newbury on Saturday. Bought for €85,000 as a yearling, he holds an entry in the Derby and contests a mile and three maiden at the Berkshire track at the weekend. The race was won by Eagle Top twelve months ago. His homework has been good and a big run is anticipated.

Hadaatha did this feature proud last year by winning on her debut before scoring at Listed level and being Group 1 placed. The daughter of Sea The Stars was, of course, trained by Roger Varian and the Classic winning handler feels the unraced MARKABAH will develop into a smart filly in 2015. A well bred Dubawi filly, she hails from the family of Oaks winner Eswarah and has done some encouraging pieces of work. Look out for this Hamdan Al Maktoum owned filly when she makes her racecourse bow.

Henry Candy has a terrific team of sprinters with Limato and Music Master spearheading his challenge on the top prizes this summer. The latter’s half-brother TWILIGHT SON is very much a name to note, too. Considered favourably treated off 83, the son of Kyllachy looks tailormade for the three year old six furlong charity sprint at York (13th June). Unbeaten in two starts, he followed up his debut win at Salisbury by collecting a nursery at Thirsk in September off 77. Overcoming a slow start, he was value for much more than the winning margin of half a length. Long-term, he could be a Pattern performer.

Mark Howard, author of Ahead On The Flat, One Jump Ahead & Racing UK pundit.

Ahead On The Flat, which includes exclusive interviews with Harry Herbert (Al Shaqab & Highclere Thoroughbred Racing), Andrew Balding, David Barron, Henry Candy, Roger Charlton, Luca Cumani, Michael Dods, James Fanshawe, William Haggas, David O’Meara, Hugo Palmer & Roger Varian, can be purchased for £8.99 (including postage) from www.mhpublications.co.uk

 

[dazzler]

One from the SBB columns running tmw in Newmarket.

GOLDEN HORN (b c Cape Cross – Fleche D’Or) *****
Form: 1- Trainer: John Gosden Owner: Anthony Oppenheimer
Half brother to 10f 3yo Listed winner Eastern Belle who made a winning debut in a 1m maiden at Nottingham last October (15/8 chance), slowly into stride and in rear, pushed along three furlongs out and angled to the outer two furlongs from home, ridden and making striking progress to lead inside the final 100 yards, keeping on well to score by a head from Storm The Stars (pair well clear). That he was able to sustain his challenge all the way to the line is praiseworthy, beginning his effort from a long way back and quickly drawing clear with one boasting previous experience; not to be underestimated in any company and is categorically one to follow in 2015, when he’ll stay 10f.

 

[MrMcGoldrick]

So much on the flat seems to revolve around the price paid as yearlings, big money gets big results

 

[CharlieHarper]

Luca Cumani is an old favourite of mine Vic and i'm really looking forward to Postponed running for him in all the middle distance group 1's this season. He had some problems last year as a 3yr old but spread eagled the field in a 1m 4f group 2 in his last race, after it Cumani said, "he needs fast ground and if we can't get it this autumn we'll put him away for next year," it could be a great year for him if he's fit and gets the G/Firm ground he needs...Cumani is a habitual slow starter and the majority of his horses need a run.

Hi mac i agree the better the yearlings move the bigger the sales price although they had to give Attraction away so things don't always go to plan.

AP O'brien has the fav for the Newmarket 2000 guineas in Gleneagles but he's having another slow start to the season especially compared to Dermot Weld who is on fire and has a possible treble at Leopardstown today with Gulf of Poets, Fascinating Rock and Valac. He also has Zawrac in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas at 12/1 a talented son of Shamardal and his only entry.

1 and 2000 guineas trials at Newmarket today...best 2yo form with the fillies goes to Osaila for R Hannon and Faydhan for the boys J Gosden.

I'll be watching and having a small punt today...best of luck.

 

[Old Vic]

One from the SBB columns running tmw in Newmarket.

GOLDEN HORN (b c Cape Cross – Fleche D’Or) *****
Form: 1- Trainer: John Gosden Owner: Anthony Oppenheimer
Half brother to 10f 3yo Listed winner Eastern Belle who made a winning debut in a 1m maiden at Nottingham last October (15/8 chance), slowly into stride and in rear, pushed along three furlongs out and angled to the outer two furlongs from home, ridden and making striking progress to lead inside the final 100 yards, keeping on well to score by a head from Storm The Stars (pair well clear). That he was able to sustain his challenge all the way to the line is praiseworthy, beginning his effort from a long way back and quickly drawing clear with one boasting previous experience; not to be underestimated in any company and is categorically one to follow in 2015, when he’ll stay 10f.

:encouragement: well done dazzler

 

[Old Vic]

Thanks Charlie - I might dip my toe into this flat thing with five that I'll follow

 

[mayo]

One from Donn

While most eyes in these parts were on Irish Grand National day at Fairyhouse on Monday, Silverwave was busy winning the Prix La Force at Longchamp, and it might be an idea to make a note of that.

There is a chance that the Silver Frost colt’s performance will be under-rated. Silverwave is trained by the largely unheralded Alain Couetil and he had done all his running as a juvenile in the provinces. Also, the general opinion afterwards seemed to be that favourite Epicuris went too fast in front, and that that set it up for Silverwave, that the winner was flattered by the result.

However, that may not be the case. Epicuris is a front-runner. He made all when he won the Group 3 Prix de Conde at Longchamp last October, and he made all when he won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud at, well, Saint-Cloud in November. Okay, so Montalbano kept him company through the early stages of Sunday’s race, but he always had the inside rail, he settled nicely in front, and he never appeared to be going any faster than Thierry Thulliez wanted him to go.

Silverwave was second last of the seven runners in the early stages of the race, and he came under pressure fairly early, but he responded well to that pressure, he picked Epicuris up just outside the 200-metre marker and he powered away to win by four lengths from Epicuris, with two and a half lengths back to the third horse, the useful David Brown-trained horse Medrano.

It is strong form. Epicuris, unbeaten in three, a Group 3 winner and a Group 1 winner, set a high standard. Also, the winning time was good, the fastest comparative time on the day at Longchamp and a half-second faster than the time that multiple Group 1 winner Al Kazeem clocked in winning the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt run over the same course and distance an hour later.

Al Kazeem won well in the end, but he was pushed out all the way to the line by Ryan Moore. Also, he is a battle-hardened seven-year-old, and he was carrying 5lb less than Silverwave carried. If the pair of them were to meet under weight-for-age terms over 10 furlongs at this time of year, Al Kazeem would be conceding 13lb to Silverwave.

Silverwave’s trainer said afterwards that the Prix du Jockey Club was his horse’s target now, and that makes a lot of sense. The big field that the Jockey Club usually attracts should generate the fast pace that suited him well here. He is now unbeaten in four runs, three as a juvenile and now one as a three-year-old, and he is worth a shot at the Classic. Remember that Saonois, from another relatively small yard in Jean-Pierre Gauvin’s, won the Prix La Force in 2012 before going on to spring a 25/1 shock in the Jockey Club.

 

[mayo]

Another

Joailliere

Joailliere put up a really nice performance on her racecourse debut at Gowran Park on Saturday to win a seven-furlong maiden. She was a 2/5 shot, she is a highly-regarded filly, she is a half-sister to the prolific Carla Bianca, who won her last four races last season, including the Group 3 Dance Design Stakes, but the manner in which she won this was impressive.

Fast away from her inside stall, the Moyglare Stud filly was second around the opening bend at a decent pace as the field stretched out behind her. Moving up on the outside of the leader Gladly on the run around the home turn, she eased to the front two and a half furlongs out, and cruised clear under a motionless Pat Smullen. Her rider didn’t even crouch lower and ride her out, he didn’t need to. He just changed his hands and gave her a slight squeeze, and she came readily clear, putting seven lengths between herself and her closest pursuers, Alertness and Love Rosie, by the time they reached the winning line.

It is often difficult to judge the strength of these early-season three-year-old maidens, but the fourth filly home, Creggs Pipes, had finished three and a half lengths third behind The Warrior on the opening day of the season at The Curragh. More than that, however, the winning time was really impressive for a debutante who barely broke sweat. It was by far the fastest comparative time of the day, it was just 0.16secs/furlong slower than Racing Post par. Also, there were three races run over seven furlongs on the day, and Joailliere’s time was over a second and a half faster than the fastest of the other two. And it is probable that she could have gone significantly faster if one of her rivals had pushed her even a little harder.

Trainer Dermot Weld said afterwards that they were not getting carried away, but that she had been working nicely in the lead up to the race. He also mentioned that the Irish Guineas was a possible target now, and that is not surprising. She could be that good. It may be that she will be at her best on this easy ground, but she is an exciting filly who should get a mile at least.

11th April 2015

 

[CharlieHarper]

Postponed running in the Grp3 2pm at Sandown today a slight concern with the ground which is stated as good but interesting to see how ready he is for 2015.

best of luck

 

[CharlieHarper]

Postponed running in the Grp3 2pm at Sandown today a slight concern with the ground which is stated as good but interesting to see how ready he is for 2015.


best of luck

ell what a good race...Postponed(A Kirby) led and was headed by Western Hymn(Frankie) in the final 2f only to come back at the leader twice and get beaten 3/4l.

1m4f for Postponed for me in the future on fast going but the first 3 horses Cannock Chase(Ryan Moore) 3rd covered by around 2l should go onto better things.